Chapter Forty
The ghosts' voices were drawn out, sighing and praising repeatedly, saying that although the pearl's soul was incomplete, it could accommodate many of their brothers and sisters.
Baozhu's eyes were blurred by the jostling and moving ghosts in front of her. She didn't quite believe that her soul was defective and said angrily, "My soul is perfectly fine. What's wrong with it? You're talking nonsense!"
When the ghosts saw that Baozhu had become angry, they finally came back to their senses from their extreme excitement.
The brothers and sisters exchanged glances, put their index fingers to their lips, and shushed each other.
They calmed down and quieted down, just as they had at the beginning, gazing at the jewel.
Don't you feel like there's something wrong with you sometimes?
"Aren't you always tired, able to dream all night long, and unable to wake up all day long?"
The ghosts looked at the precious pearl from all directions and asked in confusion.
A little imp with only half a body lay at the feet of the precious pearl, looked up, and said, "Haven't you ever shown any unusual behavior?"
Is this considered abnormal?
Baozhu recalled her poor health after leaving Gejiabao, the constant sleepiness, and the fatigue that came with the slightest movement.
She was too oblivious, thinking these were just aftereffects of her injury.
But even so, what can be done? Baozhu sighed, “Perhaps I really am flawed. Wouldn’t I be even weaker then? How could I possibly accommodate you brothers and sisters? You… you’re lying to me, aren’t you?”
The little ghost with half a body quickly opened its arms and hugged Baozhu's legs tightly. She sobbed, "We didn't lie. Your soul is incomplete, so it can hold many of us. We can lend you our power."
“Your body is not completely filled with spirits; there are gaps that can accommodate us,” a gentle female ghost explained.
"If you don't believe me, you can try it."
"Give it a try."
The ghosts all spoke at once.
When the ghosts spoke together, it sounded like tens of millions of mosquitoes buzzing in a cave at the same time. These tiny noises echoed repeatedly in Baozhu's ears, making her ears ring.
She covered her ears and shouted in annoyance, "Shut up, all of you!"
In an instant, the ghost's voice disappeared, leaving only condensed water vapor and the sound of dripping water from the stone walls in the cave.
Baozhu put her hands on her hips, glanced at the ghosts who were cautiously looking at her, and asked cautiously, "After you come in, will you stay in my body forever?"
"No, we are going to be reborn in the Pure Land."
“We are weak, you can drive us away.”
Baozhu gave a cold laugh and said, "I am not the same person I was when I first came down the mountain. I am skeptical of what you say. Well then, I will try it first."
She pointed to the frail, half-demon at her feet and said, "You come in and try."
The ghosts looked at each other, shoving and jostling to make room for the half-demon.
The half-demon lowered its head and stretched out its arms towards Baozhu, making a hugging gesture, and said obsequiously, "Don't resist me."
Baozhu lowered her head and opened her arms to her.
The crippled, weak little ghost, born with only half a body, was held in Baozhu's arms, and waves of warmth emanated from her.
Suddenly, large tears welled up in the little girl's eyes and rolled down her cheeks.
"So warm, so warm." She choked up, burying herself in Baozhu's arms. "So this is what it feels like to be hugged."
The next instant, the half-demon disappeared from Baozhu's arms, and her childish voice rang in Baozhu's mind.
"I'm here."
Baozhu's left little finger twitched slightly.
"This is my power. Look how weak it is," said the half-demon.
"Yes," Baozhu waved her hand in confusion, "Will this work?"
"We're amazing together!" the half-demon said expectantly. "Want some more brothers and sisters?"
Baozhu looked hesitantly at the ghosts in front of her.
The ghosts looked at Baozhu with tears welling up in their eyes.
“You, you, you.” Baozhu pointed to the pile of ghosts overlapping in front of her, “These ghosts, come in and try.”
"They're here, they're here."
"Don't resist us."
The ghosts leaped toward the pearl one by one with great joy. The pearl felt a chill run through it, and then it heard their incessant chatter in its mind.
Her left hand moved on its own, and the ghosts shouted, "We're here. Do you want to try our combined power?"
Baozhu clenched her left hand but didn't feel anything different.
She hesitated for a moment, then suddenly threw a punch into the air above the cave.
—Boom!
Large rocks crashed down from the cave ceiling.
Baozhu was taken aback, then burst into a smile. She exclaimed happily, "You didn't lie to me! It's actually true!"
The ghosts laughed and said, "It's true, we're really powerful together."
"We just don't have a container to hold us."
"Until I met you."
Baozhu was eager to try, and pointed to a group of ghosts on the right: "You guys should try it too."
The ghosts happily lined up and crawled into the pearl's body.
They called out from the right hand of the jewel, "We're here!"
Baozhu swung her fists with both hands, throwing several punches towards the top of her head.
With a loud rumble, large chunks of rock fell from the cave ceiling, and the pearl truly possessed power it had never had before.
Baozhu lowered her head and looked at her hands, a feeling she couldn't quite describe welling up inside her.
Is this power?
The feeling of having power is so wonderful.
However, this mysterious feeling only lasted for a moment before the pearl was pulled back to reality.
Countless ghosts were clamoring in her mind, and the ghosts in her left hand kept moving to the left, urging Baozhu to touch the goddess statue right now.
The ghosts on the right disagreed with their companions and loudly demanded that Baozhu call more of her brothers and sisters up.
It felt like tens of thousands of geese were yelling in her ear at the same time, making Di Baozhu's head throb with pain.
"Shut up!"
Baozhu shouted and suddenly swung his left hand.
"Ouch."
"Don't be angry, just don't say anything."
The ghosts in the left hand were pushed out by the pearl, scattering all over the ground with a clatter.
The demons in the right hand immediately shut their mouths upon seeing this, but it was too late; they were already being showered with the irritating pearl.
The ghosts shrank back, and the cave fell silent.
The Vajra Jewel, with its fierce expression, stood majestically in the very center.
"Have you all forgotten who truly controls my body?" She swept her brow across the group of ghosts, speaking coldly. "Show some respect, do you hear me?"
Not to mention that Baozhu wanted them to show some respect, even if the ghosts wanted to call her their great-grandmother, the ghosts would be more than willing. So they bowed to Baozhu with their heads bowed and apologized, saying sweetly, "Of course, we'll do as you say. We were indeed impolite."
"I don't know how to address you properly, fox spirit."
What should I call you?
Baozhu scratched her head, and Ruhong's imposing aura dissipated without her realizing it.
She made a sound of surprise, her mind went blank for a moment, and she suggested softly, "The Fox King?"
"Greetings, Your Majesty!"
"May Your Majesty be well!"
The ghosts readily complied, and with a thunderous roar, they knelt before the precious pearl in the cave.
The ghosts carried Baozhu on their shoulders and tossed her upwards repeatedly, while she waved to them gracefully.
"Alright, alright, that's too noisy. Don't alert anyone. Put me down now."
Baozhu said shyly.
As expected, she was right. Before Baozhu had even finished speaking, a rumbling sound came from the top of the cave again.
The ghosts immediately shut their mouths and looked up at the sky with Baozhu.
The pearl came from the very center of the cave, where a giant hand first stretched out, followed by an arm, and then an entire arm.
Then, after a series of extremely harsh and unpleasant creaking sounds, half of the goddess statue's head emerged from above, its one dark, hollow eye darting around erratically.
Baozhu and the ghosts stood frozen in place, and Baozhu, the only one who could breathe, held her breath.
The goddess statue's eyes darted around, scanning the entire cave before finally locking onto its target.
She kept one eye on the pearl and slowly climbed out from above using both her hands and feet.
"What are you standing there for? Come on up!" Baozhu took off running and shouted at the ghosts.
Baozhu ran wildly, and countless ghosts pounced on her body along the way, making her teeth chatter from the cold.
Behind her, the goddess statue finally pulled its entire body out.
The goddess statue gently landed on the ground, waving her hands. In an instant, the ghosts vanished without even having a chance to make a sound.
It looked at Baozhu's back, hesitated for a moment, and then took off to catch up.
Seeing this, the ghosts wept for the annihilation of their kind. The power within the pearl grew stronger and stronger. Finally, she felt that it was enough, stopped her escape, and turned to face the goddess statue.
"Enough! They did nothing wrong. All that's left is their soul. What more do you want?" she snapped.
The goddess statue tilted its head, showing no intention of stopping, and continued to run towards the precious pearl while destroying the souls of the ghosts who couldn't escape in time.
Baozhu frowned.
She steadied herself and bent down.
Azure flames danced in her eyes, her hair moved without wind, strands flying through the air, and her fingers transformed into sharp claws, the tips gleaming with an eerie light.
"I told you to stop."
With a sudden burst of energy, Baozhu leaped towards the goddess statue like a hawk.
Loud noises echoed from the mountain's interior, causing the entire Sanzhen Mountain to tremble slightly.
The abbess of the Goddess Temple, who was lying flat on the bed with her hands clasped together, was startled awake. She gasped for breath and threw off the covers, wanting to go to the direction of the main hall to check.
However, as soon as he sat up, he sensed a dangerous aura.
The abbot dared not move and sat stiffly on the bed.
Out of the corner of his eye, he seemed to see a dull dagger pressed against his throat.
The abbot broke out in a cold sweat instantly. His throat bobbed as the dagger sliced through his flesh, sending a sharp pain through him.
He was no longer young, and after spending so many years at Sanzhen Mountain, he finally encountered such a scene, but the abbot did not seem surprised.
The abbot spoke with difficulty, "Who are you? What brings you here?"
Why do you think we've come here?
Three masked men suddenly appeared before the abbot. One of them held a dagger and gently tapped the abbot's vulnerable neck, saying, "Tell me, what mistake did you make to provoke us?"
The abbot's body began to tremble uncontrollably. He was just a mortal who once possessed some supernatural powers, but he had been living a life of ease for too long. With others helping him with all his difficulties, he had become complacent.
Now he has become a piece of meat on someone else's chopping board.
Large drops of sweat dripped from his forehead, and he said in a trembling voice, "I am just a puppet, following the orders of those above me. What mistake have I made? I have done nothing wrong."
“You’re not wrong? You’ve deceived the entire population of Jiangbei Prefecture. You’ve been raising so many children in your backyard. Tell me, how many innocent souls are on these hands?”
The masked man pointed his dagger downwards, aiming it at the host's hand.
The abbot flinched and shook his head: "I was originally a good person. It's all the fault of those above me that I've come to this."
The abbot defended himself.
There used to be a Buddhist temple on Sanzhen Mountain, and he was a senior monk there when he was young.
This monastery was desperately poor, with hardly any offerings, and the monks were all emaciated from hunger. Yet, the abbot would occasionally pick up unwanted children from the stream, saving the monks' food rations to raise them.
For several years, the harvest in Jiangbei Prefecture was poor, the people were too poor, and many children were abandoned. Unbeknownst to them, the old monk had taken in so many children that the temple was overflowing.
A Buddhist temple, inhabited by several monks and dozens of abandoned children.
Of course, the old monk couldn't support such a large population. After three senior monks left the temple in succession, he couldn't sit still any longer.
So the old monk came up with a solution.
In the past, he would personally go to Jiangbei Prefecture to observe each household and see if there were any kind-hearted couples who couldn't have children and were seeking a son.
If there were any, the old monk would give the children he had found to them.
He can manage with one or two children, but if there are too many, he won't have the energy to do so.
The old monk began to tell the worshippers who came to offer incense that there were many children in the temple, and if they could be given a meal and fed, they could be taken home.
The temple already had few worshippers, and the worshippers who came were also poor, so how could they afford to raise extra children?
At first, the old monk encountered setbacks.
Later, when the news reached the wealthy families in the city, they sent their stewards up the mountain to select a few healthy and good-looking children to take back and raise as servants.
The stewards were very arrogant, claiming that raising children would cost a lot of money and food, and that the wealthy families were doing good deeds.
The old monk had no choice but to accept it.
The children in the temple were all sent away not long after.
At this time, apart from the later abbot of the Goddess Temple, there was only one other senior monk left in the temple.
Suddenly, they were living a good life.
The old monk loosened his grip, and the monks were able to eat their fill of tofu, flour, and rice every meal.
And the temple was also filled with children that the old monk had taken in.
Then this time, after the children were taken away to different places, the monks had money to repair the dilapidated temple. The main hall was renovated to be extremely solemn, and the clay statues inside were very beautiful.
Gradually, the number of pilgrims increased, and the threshold of the Buddhist temple was worn down by the crowds.
At that moment, the old monk suddenly passed away.
Before he died, he told two senior monks about the temple's business of selling children.
One of the monks couldn't bear it any longer and left in tears, never to be seen again.
Another person took over the business from the old monk and expanded it further.
At this point, the abbot, whose face was already wrinkled, said, "You see, if it weren't for my master leading me into this profession back then, I would also be an honest and dutiful monk."
The masked man sneered and circled the abbot's face with his dagger.
"Isn't this a Buddhist temple? How did it turn into a temple dedicated to a goddess?"
The abbot lowered his gaze and said, "That's another matter, and it has nothing to do with buying and selling."
Standing by the window, another masked man, whose voice sounded younger, spoke up: "I'm afraid you've kept this other matter a secret from all your business partners, and from everyone at the Yiren Temple in Jiangbei Prefecture, haven't you?"
The abbot's pupils trembled, and he shut his mouth, refusing to speak again.
Seeing this, the masked man calmly said, "You are really bold. You actually went behind the backs of Yiren Temple and Ji Ren to do other business. You see that this business has never had any problems before, so you became bold."
The masked man paused, then continued, "As a result, you've caused such a huge mess. The sun is blazing, the water supply is cut off, all your previous businesses are ruined, and you have no ability to solve this current problem, yet you're still hiding it. How dare you?"
The more the masked man spoke, the more violently the abbot trembled. When he asked how the abbot dared to do that, the abbot felt a heat in his crotch, and everyone present smelled an unpleasant odor.
He actually wet his pants after being questioned by Li Zhi with just a few words.
A faint commotion came from inside the mountain. Zhang He knew that something strange had happened here. After thinking for a moment, he grabbed the abbot by the collar and said with disdain, "If you don't tell us, we'll take you to see your goddess and see what's wrong. Let's go."
The abbot waved his hand, trembling, barely able to speak.
He was grabbed by the collar and dragged all the way to the entrance of the main hall.
At this moment, voices could be heard coming from the backyard. The tremors rumbling from the mountains had awakened the entire Goddess Temple. Fortunately, the backyard gate was bolted from the front, preventing the attendants from getting through for the time being.
Time was of the essence, and the three masked Taoist masters stood at the entrance of the main hall, their hearts pounding.
Li Zhi looked at the main hall door, which was slightly ajar, and felt a chill run down his spine.
He stepped forward first and pushed open the door.
The main hall was empty. The statue of the goddess that should have stood in the hall had disappeared, leaving only a huge, bottomless hole in the ground.
A chilling aura emanated from the cave.
The abbot, seeing everything before him, struggled desperately in Zhang He's grasp, shouting in terror, "The goddess statue is gone! It's all over! We're all doomed! She's suppressing ten thousand evil spirits underground! Ten thousand evil spirits!"
"Why are you holding back the souls of 100,000 evil spirits, preventing them from being reborn?"
Zhang He's face turned ashen; he was already itching to beat this arrogant fool to death.
"It wasn't me, it wasn't me." The abbot cried, liquid dripping from his trousers into the main hall. "I'm just a ranch keeper. It's because the Lord hasn't come for too long. It shouldn't be like this. If the Lord had appeared on time, the ghost's resentment wouldn't have turned into this."
"Who would raise 100,000 evil spirits to harvest their resentment?" Li Zhi asked.
"I don't know, I don't know anything."
The abbot was convulsing and about to faint.
"What's the point of asking him? He's just a puppet."
A voice came from outside the main hall.
Zhang He immediately put down the abbot's seal, took out his ritual implements, and together with his companions, looked warily towards the outside of the main hall.
In the darkness of the night, a figure appeared before the three of them.
With his hands behind his back, Ji Ren stepped into the main hall of the Goddess Temple and looked at the three people in front of him, saying, "You really do have some skills. You've only been in Jiangbei Prefecture for half a month, yet you've already solved such a big case."
The visitor was Ji Ren, which did not surprise the three of them.
Now that Ji Ren had pointed it out, Zhang He simply removed his mask, cupped his hands, and said, "Commander Ji, it seems the cause of the natural disaster in Jiangbei Prefecture lies behind us."
Ji Ren looked at the ominous cave entrance behind them, grunted, and said in a gentle tone, "That's right, thank you for your hard work. But for something this big, you still need to inform me before taking action."
As he spoke, he made a sudden movement, and the head of the abbot who was slumped on the ground next to Zhang He flew off.
Zhang He was already very wary of him, but still couldn't stop the attack.
The witness died just like that!
With his heart pounding, Zhang He bit his tongue, recited an incantation in his stomach, spat blood onto the peach wood sword, and used all his strength to block upwards.
He barely managed to deflect Ji Ren's silent attack.
Ji Ren sneered: "A few greenhorns like you know too much."
Having said that, he moved like a ghost towards Zhang He.
Zhang He gritted his teeth so hard they almost broke, wielding his peach wood sword with ferocious force, managing to withstand Ji Ren's first few moves.
However, his eyes were stained with bright red blood, his face turned pale, and his arm, which had received Ji Ren's attack, began to tremble uncontrollably.
Despite his best efforts, Zhang He was sent flying like a kite with a broken string after only ten moves.
Li Zhi quickly reached out and grabbed Zhang He, preventing the already unconscious man from falling straight into the Ten Thousand Ghosts Cave behind him.
When she turned around again, Pei Xuanji was already standing in front of Li Zhi with her sword drawn.
“Take the senior with you.” Pei Xuanji’s voice trembled.
Before Li Zhi could make a move, Ji Ren in front sneered, "Pei Qi, Yiren Temple is not a place for young ladies to play around. I've tolerated you for a long time, but this time I really have to apologize to General Pei."
Ji Ren reached out and grabbed Pei Xuanji from a distance, and she immediately lost the ability to move. She couldn't make a sound, and the bones in her body creaked as if Ji Ren was about to crush her on the spot.
"Chief Commander Ji, do you think that Master Pei didn't leave any backup plan before coming here?" Li Zhi asked as he gently placed Zhang He on the ground.
Upon hearing this, Ji Ren released his grip.
Pei Xuanji fell softly to the ground.
He looked at Li Zhi, raised an eyebrow, and said, "I've always wanted to ask, who exactly sent you? Hmm? And for what? For Pei Qi? Or for me?"
Upon hearing this, Li Zhi's mind raced, and he quickly devised an identity for himself, feigning mystery as he said, "Chief Commander Ji is indeed astute; I've often heard of him before..."
"I heard? I heard it from whom and what?"
"Doesn't Chief Commander Ji know what others are saying about you? My superiors have told me this many times."
Veins bulged on Ji Ren's temples as he raged, "Who is your superior? What exactly did he tell you about me?"
Seeing that Li Zhi was unmoved and refused to say anything, Ji Ren sighed and shook his head, saying, "I must kill four times today. It's not good, but you all know too much, so I can't help it."
Having said that, he stretched out his hand, intending to kill Li Zhi with his palm.
The box on Li Zhi's back fell off, and he managed to dodge the attack by pulling Zhang He along.
There is still a chance; it's not a certain death situation.
He waited, sensing a tremendous power approaching from within his bloodline.
We need to delay a little longer.
Li Zhi quickly said, "Chief Commander Ji, the news that you are fond of that girl who hasn't even come of age has spread far and wide. My superiors said that what's being said outside is..."
Ji Ren was now beyond furious. He stopped what he was doing and roared, "What exactly was being spread?"
"I'm talking about you." Li Zhi felt the power was already very close. "I'm afraid you can't perform sexual acts."
Li Zhi finished speaking.
Ji Ren leaped up, his bloodshot eyes glaring at Li Zhi, and reached out to strangle him.
But, no sooner said than done.
A dazzling blue flame flew up from the hole behind Li Zhi.
"Don't touch him!" Baozhu said.
Baozhu was engulfed in raging ghost flames, and her body was covered in countless wounds.
Only his eyes remained very bright.
She caught Ji Ren's fatal blow, and then Baozhu struck the unsuspecting Ji Ren hard in the chest with her backhand.
The power of countless ghosts, carrying a malevolent aura, pierced through Ji Ren's chest.
Ji Ren's face turned deathly pale.
He took a direct hit from the pearl, and his life's cultivation immediately activated, protecting Ji Ren's heart meridian and preventing him from dying immediately.
Baozhu wanted to slap him again.
Before anyone could react, Ji Ren immediately lit a talisman and vanished instantly from the main hall of the Goddess Temple.
Baozhu gasped for breath and looked at Li Zhi.
"Are you alright?" The ghostly flames on her body gradually dissipated into the world.
"I'm fine, but they're not doing well." Li Zhi breathed a sigh of relief, looked Baozhu up and down, and said with concern, "You don't look too well either."
Baozhu did not answer; her eyelids were drooping, and she could hear countless ghosts bidding her farewell.
"Goodbye, Your Majesty."
"We are about to pass away."
"We will remember you before we drink the Meng Po soup. Thank you for your hard work."
Baozhu shook her head wearily and replied, "Let's go quickly."
Just as the ghosts were passing away, a rustling sound, like birds flapping their wings, came from the cave behind them.
Then came the sound of water.
The sound of water dripping, the sound of rushing water, the roar of the flood.
Li Zhi's expression changed, and he turned around to carry Zhang He on his back, reaching out to Baozhu and saying, "Hurry up and go."
Baozhu was in a daze and did not respond to Li Zhi's words. Instead, she turned around and crawled into the box.
She was so tired that nothing, no matter how important, could stop her from getting a good night's sleep.
Seeing this, Li Zhi hurriedly stepped forward to pick up the boxes on the ground.
Pei Xuanji rubbed her arm as she woke up from her unconsciousness. Seeing Li Zhi's actions, she reached out and reflexively picked up the box for him, as she was closer to it.
It's too late.
Li Zhi shouted to Pei Xuanji, "Hold on tight to the box! Don't let go under any circumstances!"
The next instant, they were swept away by the gushing water from the cave.
Water, lots of water, water everywhere.
Within the belly of Sanzhen Mountain, countless streams of water gush forth.
The massive mountain collapsed with a deafening roar, the earth trembled, and floods poured down from the sky, washing away all evil.
As dawn broke and the Jiangbei Prefecture was still asleep, a three-zhang-high wave of water breached the city walls, submerging the entire city.
However, the water did not destroy everything.
Several figures were gently lifted up by the water on the mountain and flowed into the distance.
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